The present invention relates generally to cable ties and more particularly to cable ties that are designed for use in automotive applications.
In the automotive industry, an electrical harness is commonly utilized to simplify the process of connecting various electrical components that are installed in a vehicle (e.g., a radio, lighter, headlights, etc.) with a designated power source, such as a car battery. The electrical harness commonly includes a plurality of bundled electrical wires and a plurality of electrical connectors that are electrically coupled to the wires at various locations along the length of the harness. As can be appreciated, the harness is typically constructed outside the vehicle and is arranged in such a configuration that enables the harness to fit easily within the automobile with each electrical connector located in close proximity to a corresponding component installed in the vehicle.
The plurality of electrical wires used to form the harness is commonly retained in its desired configuration using a plurality of harnessing devices, such as cable ties. One type of cable tie which is well known in the art includes a serrated strap which is fitted to an apertured head. In use, the cable tie can be formed into closed loop by inserting the serrated strap through the apertured head. With the serrated strap inserted through the apertured head, an internal pawl, or locking tang, disposed within the apertured head lockably engages the serrations of the strap to prevent the strap from being backed out of the apertured head. In this manner, the engagement of the internal pawl onto the serrated strap secures the cable tie in its closed loop configuration.
Each electrical connector provided in the harness is typically designated for mating engagement with a particular component. However, if a particular component is not installed in the vehicle, the unattached electrical connector remains loose within the automotive body, thereby rendering it susceptible to bouncing and rattling during operation of the vehicle, which is highly undesirable.
Accordingly, electrical connectors are commonly provided with fastening means to secure an otherwise unattached connector to a fixed object, such as an automotive panel. The fastening means provided on an electrical connector is often in the form of a pair of spaced apart rails which together define a fastener track therebetween. In addition, a locking projection is typically formed on the connector at one end of the fastener track in order to lock the electrical connector in connection with a mating fastener.
For example, it is well-known in the art for a cable tie to be provided with a fastener that is specifically designed to engage the fastening means provided on a standard electrical connector. In this manner, it is to be understood that the cable tie can be formed into a closed loop that is cinched tightly around a harness cable. With the cable tie firmly secured around a portion of the harness, the unattached electrical connector is folded back towards the cable tie. A fastener provided on the cable tie is then slid into connection with the fastening means provided on the electrical connector in order to permanently secure the electrical connector fixed in place against the harness, which is highly desirable.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,451 to J. C. Benoit, which is hereby incorporated by reference, there is disclosed a cable tie for securing a connector to a cable of a harness, the connector having a pair of rails which together form a track therebetween. The cable tie comprises an elongated flexible strap having a first end and a second end. A locking head is integrally formed on the first end of the strap and is adapted to cooperate with the strap to form a loop around the cable. The cable tie further comprises a rigid, bow-shaped fastener coupled to the strap which is sized and shaped to slide into the track formed in the connector. In one embodiment, the fastener of the cable tie is integrally formed on the strap. In another embodiment, the fastener of the cable tie and the strap are two separate pieces, thereby enabling the fastener to slide along the strap.
Although well known and widely used in commerce, the fastener disclosed in the '451 patent suffers from a notable drawback. Specifically, as the fastener is slid within the fastener track in the electrical connector, one end of the tab is required to temporarily slide over the projection formed between the pair of rails. Because the rigid tab is held firmly down by the pair of opposing rails, the above-described sliding process can only be accomplished if the locking projection on the electrical connector is located at one end or, in the alternative, just outside of one end of the fastener track. As a result, it has been found that the fastener disclosed in the '451 patent is incapable of being used with many common types of conventional electrical connectors, which is highly undesirable.